Plant an Amaryllis for Amazing Christmas Flowers
posted November 8, 2009 - 6:22am
No other blooming Christmas flower receives so many oohs and aahs as the strikingly beautiful Amaryllis. The large exotic-looking flowers are a wonderful addition to the festive Christmas holiday.
The “Amaryllis” most commonly known as an indoor blooming pot plant at Christmastime is actually in the genus “Hippeastrum” which is in the “Amaryllidaceae” family but different than the actual genus “Amaryllis”. Nonetheless, many species and hybrids of Hippeastrum labeled as Amaryllis will become available in garden centers and mail order nurseries just in time for anyone to grow their own spectacular show for Christmas.
For the sake of familiarity, I will refer to the Hippeastrum commonly grown for Christmas blooming as Amaryllis throughout this article.
Before you indulge in such a stunning flower, there is one very important fact to know. All parts of the amaryllis are very poisonous when ingested. If there are pets or small children living in or visiting the home, I would highly discourage owning an amaryllis unless it can be grown in a safe location with no possible access by children or pets. As a gift plant, be sure the recipient will be able to grow it without safety risks to children or pets.
After considering the proper precautions, the amaryllis is a delight to grow. They are easy to care for and grow quickly. You can literally see the growth over night on most newly purchased bulbs. Bulbs resurrected from a previous year may be a little slower to “wake up”.
There are approximately 90 species and over 600 hybrids of amaryllis available in varying colors. Most will only be found through specialty growers or distributors and online resources. A small handful of the most common amaryllis are usually found in local garden shops or department stores. They typically come in a kit with everything you need to get started – pot, peat pellet or disk, bulb, and instructions. The bulb should have a healthy growth of roots. Some may already be growing green leaf tips from the top of the bulb. Unfortunately, the included pot in kits does not usually have drainage holes. One of the best ways to kill your amaryllis is by excessively wet soil due to lack of drainage. The bulb can easily rot and be susceptible to fungal diseases from sitting in soggy, wet soil. To avoid these problems, plant the bulb in a pot with drainage holes that is slightly smaller than the pot that came with the bulb. It can then be placed into the pot with no holes to catch excess water which can be discarded if not absorbed within a few minutes. Alternatively, use any other desired pot of the proper size. When planted, the bulb should fill up most of the pot diameter with only about 1” spacing between the bulb and pot wall.
To plant the bulb, follow the instructions included in the kit which should describe how to soak the peat pellet or disk with a specific amount of water for the pellet size. When water is fully absorbed, loosen and fluff the compacted soil. Make a hole in the center of the pot by gently pushing the soil along the edge of the pot. The hole should be deep enough to bury only two-thirds of the bulb. Do not compress the soil. Firmly place the bulb in the center of the hole and press the soil around the bulb. Do not cover the top one-third of the bulb with soil. One-third of the bulb should be visible and be sitting above the soil.
If repotting a dormant bulb from previous years or the bulb purchased was not part of a kit, fill two-thirds of a pot slightly larger than the bulb with a good indoor plant soil mix and moisten soil. Press the bulb firmly into the center and add soil securely around the bulb. Leave one-third of the bulb exposed above the soil. Water thoroughly.
Move the amaryllis to a warm, sunny or bright location. Green leaf growth should appear within a few days.
Amaryllis are easy to care for. Here are some tips to keep the amaryllis healthy and happy during its active growth and blooming time:
- Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.
- Do not allow the pot to sit in water.
- Provide plenty of bright light or sun.
- Keep it away from excess heat or cold drafts.
- Amaryllis are happiest at 70F or warmer. Cooler temperatures can cause flower buds to drop off without opening.
- Amaryllis will grow towards the sun. Rotate daily to maintain a strong, straight stalk.
- When growing in artificial light, start with pot 6-8” from the light source and move as the amaryllis grows taller.
- If the flower stalk appears to be falling over as it gets taller, support with a stake if necessary. Be careful not to puncture the bulb when pushing the stake down into the pot.
- Strong sun can cause flower color to fade. For brighter longer lasting flowers, place in indirect but bright light during bloomi
- Flowers will last longer by removing pollen sacs.
- Do not fertilize while in bloom.
Join Xomba Today
Do you like to write? Would you like to make a little extra money on the side? These people do. Join the Xomba community today.
Become a Member
Comments
Amaryllis vs. Orchids
I love orchids but have never had one of my own. I keep hinting to the family for special occasions but I think I will have to break down and buy myself a present one of these days - like I do with most of the plants I have. I don't know why I think DH and DS should be the ones to get me an orchid. LOL
Thanks for the comments!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earn for Your Writing on Xomba
Earn for Your Writing on Bukisa
Check Out My Writing on Bukisa
Gardens on sand
Yup been there done that, as they say! Actually they came to our house. You have to get to them before you get bad advice, before the contractor puts in the wrong grass and before the crabgrass sets in! Now we have a mixture of grass and crabgrass, but it's green. As a matter of fact some years back I did some stories for the paper on gardens etc. I learned alot but not something I felt I could do. Lawn companies use a variety of pesticides on the other lawns and less birds are seen. The natural gardening that is proposed for down here isn't very popular. I could go on........
Dollsandart
Amaryllis in Dry Climates
Doodlebugs, Amaryllis do need a dry resting period a couple months out of the year but moisture during blooming season. They are native to the tropical areas of South America. Sounds like your Mom must have known when to provide plenty of water and when to let them rest in the dry desert heat.
Thanks for your comments! I always enjoy hearing about other experiences with various plants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earn for Your Writing on Xomba
Earn for Your Writing on Bukisa
Check Out My Writing on Bukisa
Gardening Near the Ocean
Don't forget that you have the salt air to contend with. Not all plants or grasses are very salt tolerant. If you want to try and get good grass going, check with the county extension office. They should have some recommendations for grasses that are both drought and salt tolerant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earn for Your Writing on Xomba
Earn for Your Writing on Bukisa
Check Out My Writing on Bukisa
I love amaryllis, especially the simple white
ones - even better than orchids. The drainage is a good tip that will help a lot of people keep theirs alive, including me. Thank you for the informative article!
~Peace, Mia
Amaryllis flowers
My mother used to grow these each year, which was no small feat in the hot desert where we grew up. They are beautiful flowers. Nice article and photos.
Join Xomba Get PAID
Legitimate Online Income Methods
Flowers in Florida
Hi, Not really sure what grows here! Just trying to keep the grass growing and the hedges going is a task! Water restrictions make things difficult and the soil is really just sand (top soil is uneven throughout the property). We live only 7 miles from the beach. It was much easier to garden in New York. Now if the grass or whatever we ended up with is green, we are happy. I am more a sewer than a gardener, but love to look and read about plants and enjoy the pictures so much.
Dollsandart
Amaryllis in Florida
Thanks Carla! Do you see Amaryllis growing in outdoor gardens in Florida like Poinsettias?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earn for Your Writing on Xomba
Earn for Your Writing on Bukisa
Check Out My Writing on Bukisa
Amaryllis and Veteran's Day
Thank you so much for your comments, goodeboy06! Where have you been hiding for the past year? Looking forward to getting to know you and your writing!
I noticed on your profile that you are an Army veteran. Thanks for all you've done to protect our freedoms and lives!
Many restaurants are providing a free thank you meal to veterans on Veterans' Day (tomorrow!). Applebee's is one of them and Wdzzz has posted a blurb with the details. Start here and then check out his other blurbs for some other restaurants also doing the same. Applebee's free Dinner for Veterans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earn for Your Writing on Xomba
Earn for Your Writing on Bukisa
Check Out My Writing on Bukisa
Growing Amaryllis
Thanks Wdzzz! I hope to get more pictures later and also an article for how to take care of Amaryllis through the rest of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earn for Your Writing on Xomba
Earn for Your Writing on Bukisa
Check Out My Writing on Bukisa
Post new comment